


like a puzzle to be worked out

by fernitron007



Series: Springtime Quarantine Writing Prompts [5]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Introspection, James Potter & Remus Lupin - Freeform, James Potter & Sirius Black - Freeform, James grows up, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Minerva McGonagall & James Potter - Freeform, POV Minerva McGonagall, Snippets of James' life, Time Passing, Young James Potter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:33:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26412715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fernitron007/pseuds/fernitron007
Summary: Days 9 & 10: Plead + Respectful.Minerva McGonagall has worked at Hogwarts for 15 years, she has taught a myriad of children but some stand out more than others. Some she remembers better than others.I thought "whose relationship encompasses both those words" and came up with this
Series: Springtime Quarantine Writing Prompts [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1907653
Kudos: 6





	like a puzzle to be worked out

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! This is one day late but better late than never! The title is from Keane's "The Way I Feel".

Minerva always took stock of her new Gryffindors at the beginning of the school year, she worried about them feeling uncomfortable or out of place in the big castle, but she had to be stealthy about it. She had been working at Hogwarts for years and knew that the children wouldn't want to feel singled out as weak (not that they were, but she understood how her attention could be misconstrued that way), so for the first few weeks she only observed.

Every year was different and she delighted in seeing her students loosen up, make Hogwarts their home away from home. This year was different, maybe even difficult. The first surprise was Sirius Black.

Blacks were notorious for dabbling in the Dark Arts, normally sorted into Slytherin. She didn't want to judge the boy so early in his life (they were only eleven, had she ever been that young?) but she had met a lot of Blacks before him and very few were pleasant people (she hoped he took after Andromeda).

The second surprise wasn't really a surprise, it could be defined better as potentially problematic. Still, there were a lot of other ways it could go wrong, she didn't think the Gryffindor sorting was necessarily a bad thing for Remus Lupin.

She'd have to keep an eye on them.

* * *

On the first week of October she realised there was a third surprise she hadn't accounted for… James Potter.

It looked like Potter had taken it upon himself to make his dormmates feel welcome. He had easily befriended the Pettigrew boy and actively tried to include the other two boys into their group.

He would make jokes to Black during class and Minerva would pretend she didn't notice Black hiding his smile behind his book. They were young, they needed all the joy they could get, she could pretend to look the other way.

Potter also tried to engage with Lupin during meals, including him in the group conversation or sitting with him instead of Pettigrew. All in all, Minerva was glad that Potter was in Gryffindor, he was making her work significantly easier.

* * *

“Protego,” she muttered and a shield erupted between the boys that had been fist-fighting.

“Twenty points from Gryffindor and Slytherin. Macnair, I will be talking to Professor Slughorn about this. Potter, come with me. The rest of you, back to your clases!” she ordered the group that had been watching the fight.

She walked back to her office with Potter on her heels. Oh, she had been wrong about him, hadn't she?

They got to her office and she sat behind her desk, gesturing for the boy to sit in front of her.

“What is this nonsense, Potter? Fighting an older boy in broad daylight with a cheering crowd?”

The boy looked bruised but not as bad as he could be. She probably intervened before the match got rough.

“I'm really sorry, Professor. I don't like fighting but Macnair was saying horrible things about Sirius and I couldn't just stand there!”

Minerva's expression softened. “What was he saying?”

Potter hesitated for a moment but talked anyway. “He said that Sirius wasn't worthy of being a Black, that he was a blood traitor and other things like that.”

Minerva bristled at James’ words. They were children, they weren't supposed to believe these things. She massaged her temples with her fingers.

“He should not have said that, I agree. But you can't go around punching everybody who says something horrible. You're supposed to talk to a teacher about it.”

“I'm sorry, Professor. I got carried away, I promise you it won't happen again.”

Minerva looked at him thoughtfully, but he looked sincere. “If it does, I won't be so lenient. Detention on Saturday here, in my office. You will report here at 5 o'clock sharp and you will complete whatever task I set. Am I understood?”

“Yes, Professor. I'll be here.”

“Good. You are dismissed.”

The boy walked steadily out of her office and she was left alone thinking that maybe he hadn't really disappointed her at all.

* * *

“Madam Pomfrey, please, we have to see Remus.”

Minerva could hear Potter pleading with Poppy at the Hospital Wing's door. She was sitting next to Mr. Lupin's bed, the boy fast asleep and on the mend. It had been a bad night, they had decided to keep the boy in bed for the day, excused from his classes. Anybody who saw him would agree that he needed the rest.

She walked to the door where Poppy was whispering furiously to a trio of boys who didn't look like they were going to back down anytime soon.

“Boys, Mr. Lupin needs to rest. He will probably be out of the infirmary tomorrow morning, you can see him then. But for now, let him sleep.”

The boys looked at each other, slowly deflated and nodded.

“So he'll be okay, Professor?” asked Potter, his voice slightly trembling.

“He'll be alright, Potter. Don't worry. Go back to class, all of you.”

They nodded and walked away, talking amongst themselves. Oh she knew they'd be back eventually, but at least they would get to class on time.

* * *

That was how Minerva remembered James: loving and caring. There were memories that weren't as nice and didn't end as well, but these were some of the ones she chose to hold on to. Others involved James helping Pettigrew study for his OWLs, James getting an Outstanding on his Transfiguration NEWTs, James asking Dumbledore to join the Order of the Phoenix, James asking her if she was sure he could call her “Minerva” instead of “Professor” (she had always regretted it a little bit, “Minerva” had easily turned into “Minnie” thanks to Black), James lost for words on the day of his wedding, James glowing with pride as he and Lily announced they were expecting a baby.

On the 1st of September of 1991 she met James Potter's son and had to look twice. This was not a surprise, she knew he would be attending Hogwarts. She also knew that he wasn't only James’ son, but the Boy Who Lived too. It was the start of another potentially problematic couple of years, wasn't it?

When the Sorting Hat sorted Harry into Gryffindor she couldn't help but smile. She didn't want to judge the child so early in his life (he was only eleven, was it possible to be so young?), but she had a feeling that Harry Potter wouldn't disappoint her either (she had a feeling he couldn't even if he tried).

* * *

Years later Minerva would remember her first impression of the Chosen One and think it was unfair of her to let her fondness for James influence how much she cared about Harry, unfair of her to look at Harry and assume he would be like James.

She hadn't been wrong though; Harry had deserved much better than he had gotten and he had still managed to grow up and be a loving and caring young man, his own man.

(and no, he hadn't disappointed her at all).


End file.
